Devlin



March 24, 1964 T. DEVLIN CUP AND BALL GAME APPARATUS Filed 001;. 6, 1961 INVENTOR.

rsees/vcs OV/A United States Patent 3,126,204 CUP AND BALL GAME APPARATUS Terrence Devlin, 7769 Memorial, Detroit 28, Mich. Filed Oct. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 143,409 Claims. (Cl. 273-955) This invention relates to a novel cup and ball toy.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a simple, attractive, and diverting skill toy of the kind indicated, which involves a hollow receptacle having an open top and an open bottom, at least one opening in the sidewall of the receptacle, and a ball on an elastic cord, attached to the receptacle, the receptacle being adapted to be held in the hand and manipulated with the object of causing the ball to enter the bottom of the cup and pass outwardly through a sidewall opening, without passing through the open top of the receptacle.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic perspective view of a toy of the present invention, showing the ball on its elastic cord, in a starting position in full lines, and in other positions in phantom lines;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged transverse vertical section taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1; and,

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated toy comprises an open-ended receptacle C, here shown as being in the form of a drinking cup having an upwardly flaring sidewall and open upper and lower ends 12 and 14, respectively, the sidewall 10 having an external, vertically disposed bail handle 16 fixed thereon. The handle 16 is preferably large enough to admit of placing two or more fingers therethrough.

The cup sidewall 10 is formed, in diametrically opposed portions of the sidewall, and spaced from the ends of the cup, with circular openings 18 and 20. The openings 18 and 20 can be spaced at diflerent distances from the ends of the cup, or be aligned with each other, as herein shown, and, in any case, are smaller in diameter than the open top and bottom of the cup.

A ball 22, slightly smaller in diameter than the openings 18 and 20, is provided, which has sufficient but not excessive weight in order to have effective momentum in its skillful manipulation relative to the cup, and is secured to one end of an elastic cord 24, as by being passed diametrically through the ball and knotted, as indicated at 26. The elastic cord 24 is of a length preferably several times the height of the cup. The end of the cord 24, remote from the ball 22, is secured to the cup C, at its lower end, preferably at a location in line with the cup handle 16, as by being inserted inwardly through a hole 28, in the cup sidewall 10, at its lower end 14, with a knot 30 hearing against the inner surface of the sidewall.

The illustrated toy is held, by means of the handle 16, with the elastic cord 24 and the ball 22 in pendant starting positions, as shown in full lines in FIGURE 1. The cup C is then moved upwardly and downwardly, so as to produce vertical reciprocation of the ball 22, accompanied by stretchings and contractions of the cord 24, until the ball 22 can be made to enter the open lower end 14 of the cup, and, without passing through the open upper end 12 of the cup, pass out of the cup through one of the sidewall openings 18 and 20. These passages of the ball 22 can be accomplished in a variety of ways,

2 each calling for exercise of skill and control, in manipulating the cup C and the ball 22.

Although there has been shown and described herein a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as, being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

l. A cup and ball toy, comprising a receptacle having a sidewall and first and second open ends, said sidewall being formed with at least one opening, an elastic cord secured at one end to the receptacle sidewall at a location spaced around the sidewall from the opening, and having a ball secured to its other end, the sidewall opening being smaller than the open ends of the receptacle, and the ball being smaller in diameter than the sidewall opening, one end of the receptacle being smaller than the other end.

2. A cup and ball toy, comprising a receptacle having a sidewall and first and second open ends, said sidewall being for-med with at least one opening, an elastic cord secured at one end to the receptacle sidewall at a location spaced around the sidewall from the opening, and having a ball secured to its other end, the sidewall opening being smaller than the open ends of the receptacle, and the ball being smaller in diameter than the sidewall opening, one end of the receptacle being smaller than the other end, and an external handle fixed on the receptacle sidewall.

3. A cup and ball toy, comprising a cup having an upwardly flaring sidewall, said cup having open upper and lower ends, the lower end being smaller in diameter than the upper end, an elastic cord having an upper end secured to a lower part of the cup sidewall and having a weight ball secured to its lower end, said ball being substantially smaller in diameter than the lower end of the cup, and circular openings in opposed portions of the cup sidewall, the sidewall openings. being only slightly larger in diameter than said ball.

4. A cup and ball toy, comprising a cup having an upwardly flaring sidewall, said cup having open upper and lower ends, the lower end being smaller in diameter than the upper end, an elastic cord having an upper end secured to a lower part of the cup sidewall and having a weight ball secured to its lower end, said ball being substantially smaller in diameter than the lower end of the cup, and circular openings in opposed portions of the cup sidewall, the sidewall openings being only slightly larger in diameter than said ball, said cord being longer than the height of the cup.

5. A cup and ball toy, comprising a cup having an upwardly flaring sidewall, said cup having open upper and lower ends, the lower end being smaller in diameter than the upper end, a vertical ball handle fixed on the exterior of said sidewall, an elastic cord having an upper end secured to a lower part of the cup sidewall and having a weight ball secured to its lower end, said ball being substantially smaller in diameter than the lower end of the cup, and circular openings in the cup sidewall at opposite sides of the handle, the sidewall openings being only slightly larger in diameter than said ball, said cord being longer than the height of the cup and being secured to the cup below and in line with said handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 755,117 Dunn Mar. 22, 1904 2,999,692 Di Pietro Sept. 12, 1961 3,038,724 Klamp June 12, 1962 

1. A CUP AND BALL TOY, COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE HAVING A SIDEWALL AND FIRST AND SECOND OPEN ENDS, SAID SIDEWALL BEING FORMED WITH AT LEAST ONE OPENING, AN ELASTIC CORD SECURED AT ONE END TO THE RECEPTACLE SIDEWALL AT A LOCATION SPACED AROUND THE SIDEWALL FROM THE OPENING, AND HAVING A BALL SECURED TO ITS OTHER END, THE SIDEWALL OPENING BEING SMALLER THAN THE OPEN ENDS OF THE RECEPTACLE, AND THE BALL BEING SMALLER IN DIAMETER THAN THE SIDEWALL OPENING, ONE END OF THE RECEPTACLE BEING SMALLER THAN THE OTHER END. 